MCARTHUR, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — On November 15, 2022, lines of excited local coffee lovers stretched outside Smoke-N-Beans Coffee Bar at 118 West Main Street in McArthur, Ohio, for the grand opening of the town’s new independent coffee shop.
To celebrate, Owners John and Connie McGee offered espresso-based drinks for just $1.
The couple created Smoke-N-Beans in response to the needs of the McArthur community.
“Before we opened our doors in September, the closest coffee shop was 30 miles away,” John McGee said.
“People talked about driving to Athens or Hocking County to get espresso drinks. Now, they come here! We’ve become a community gathering place.”
The new coffee bar serves a full menu of hot, iced and frozen espresso drinks – including mochas, lattes and cappuccinos – as well as iced coffee and tea, cold-brewed coffee, hot chocolate, and other custom drinks. An assortment of locally baked cupcakes, coffee cake and other goodies rounds out the menu.
The coffee, roasted in Columbus, Ohio, by Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, has received rave reviews from local coffee lovers.
“Everyone loves it and thinks the pricing is reasonable,” Connie McGee said.
Smoke-N-Beans operates in the same building as Spring Street Sports, a sports apparel and barbecue specialty store that the McGees started as a home-based business in 2006. They later moved the business to a historic brick building in the downtown McArthur shopping district.
In addition to coffee and sweet treats, the shop offers gourmet barbecue sauces.
“We sell all kinds of barbecue sauces you can’t find in your typical store,” John said. “For example, we’re the only place in Ohio that sells Hutch’s Gourmet Barbecue sauce.”
When they began researching how to open a coffee shop, the McGees were confident in business skills honed at Spring Street Sports but knew little about the coffee industry.
They decided not to consider a coffee shop franchise, which would not have been in the budget.
“We knew we could run the business,” John said. “We just need support on the coffee side.”
Instead, their research led them to Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, which offers a coffee shop franchise alternative called the 7 Steps to Success.
A one-stop shop for coffee businesses, Crimson Cup provides award-winning coffee, coffee shop supplies, marketing support and ongoing consulting to help coffee shops grow.
“After talking to several coffee shop owners and other roasters, I decided on Crimson Cup because I needed a support system,” John said. “I also visited other Crimson Cup shops and liked the products.”
Through the 7 Steps program, Crimson Cup has helped start and grow over 300 independent coffee shops in 30 states.
The program is based on the book, Seven Steps to Success: A Common-sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee, by Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert.
The 7 Steps provide a proven system for running a thriving coffee business, including writing a strong coffee shop business plan, designing and laying out each coffee shop, choosing the right espresso machine and other equipment, hiring and training staff, and much more.
In September, 7 Steps Project Manager and Trainer Steve Bayless spent the week leading up to the opening of Smoke-N-Beans training the McGees, Manager Stacy Karr, and their baristas in all aspects of drink preparation and coffee shop operation.
Crimson Cup’s customer growth team also provided marketing guidance and onsite operations support for the shop’s grand opening event in November.
John McGee said he likes working with Crimson Cup because of the support team and the quality products.
“I found all 7 Steps helpful. They’re all part of the system.”
Asked to give advice to other prospective coffee shop owners, he said, “Be prepared for it to cost more than planned to open. Make certain that your customers feel good about their visit. Do your homework on your hires.”
The McGees invite everyone in McArthur and Vinton County to visit their new coffee shop, which is open seven days a week in the Spring Street Sports building at 118 West Main Street.
“Smoke-N-Beans Coffee Bar is your one-stop place for great drinks and the largest selection of BBQ rubs and sauces in the area!” Connie said. “We know we’ve got something special here, so we invite everyone to come out to experience what Smoke-N-Beans has to offer!”
Follow the Smoke-N-Beans and Spring Street Sports Facebook page for updates about hours, events and new menu items.
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup – driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs.
Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, cheryl@claypoolecc.com
SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
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